My Bermuda Bag Obsession

Got this reversible bermuda bag cover made by Joanna at All About You Design. She's fab - so fun to talk to. She's been sewing covers with her mother's pattern since the 70's. Glad to see Bermuda Bags are alive and well - mostly in the south, I guess. Since I never see any around the Chicago area.

The whale fabric is actually a pinwale/baby corduroy. So cute.

So, this is my attempt at a reversible cover with piping. I got the pattern on ebay. It was not really beginner-friendly and I had to figure most of the issues out as I went along. Better than not having the pattern though. Below is the fabric I did on the other side (before button holes). Not perfect, but ok for a first attempt. I think my future ones will not be reversible. So hard to do the piping to look good on both sides!

This fabric didn't photograph well, but it's a buttercup color, it's an Amy Butler. Love.

Finished my Miniature Needlepoint Petit Point Aubusson Rug! (Janet Patacca kit)

Finally! Finished the French Aubusson Rug Kit by Janet Patacca (#110) for the dollhouse. It was on 24 count canvas using 2 strands of DMC and measures 8 x 10.5". Janet's kits are really well-done. The design is printed on the canvas and there's a nice chart included so there isn't any guesswork.

It took me about a year to finish because, and I"M GOING TO DROP A BOMB HERE, SO LISTEN: I thought I was going blind!! I'm 42 and have had perfect eyesight for many years, so when I wasn't able to see the holes after a few months I figured it was the beginning of the end. I swore my husband to secrecy so my mom wouldn't worry about me going blind and then he accidentally blurted it out one day. So she drags me to the optical place in Costco and next thing you know I CAN SEE! Turns out I just needed some strong crafting/reading glasses. Phew!

I could have blocked it better. I blocked twice, but since it was my first petit point maybe I was pulling strangely on it. Oh well, still thrilled.

 Some notes about the back: Janet Patacca's directions for backing it with fabric just seemed overwhelming to me and I feared it was going to look bulky with another piece of fabric. Since neither the bears nor the dolls in the house were likely to turn the rug over for inspection I decided not to back it with fabric. Instead, I followed Janet Granger's tutorial on how to turn the canvas over and petit point edge it. Very happy with how the edges turned out.

Deciding if I want furniture on top of it or not. 

Piper, Marmalade & Bernadette enjoying the new rug.